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The starting pitching for the O's has been pathetic besides Gonzo this season. Yes, Hammel's record is decent but he isn't as good as his record indicates. I have lost total confidence in Arrieta, our bullpen will be worn down by August. I have high hopes for Gausman and Bundy still and we can see what we have left with Bergeson tomorrow against the tigs. Chen is coming back which is good but we need more.

2nd base is a disaster as of now. Flaherty is a joke at the plate even though he has decent defense. He is a automatic out at the dish. Roberts will be back, but when he does come back. How long can he stay healthy?? Valencia needs more at bats but can he play 2nd base? Not sure if he is in Bucks doghouse or what.

Maybe Im just venting as of now since we are getting our behinds kicked by the Tigers, but if this team is serious about contending. Buck/DD can not shy away from the fact that our pitching needs strengthened.

Dons0's wrote:The starting pitching for the O's has been pathetic besides Gonzo this season. Yes, Hammel's record is decent but he isn't as good as his record indicates. I have lost total confidence in Arrieta, our bullpen will be worn down by August. I have high hopes for Gausman and Bundy still and we can see what we have left with Bergeson tomorrow against the tigs. Chen is coming back which is good but we need more.

2nd base is a disaster as of now. Flaherty is a joke at the plate even though he has decent defense. He is a automatic out at the dish. Roberts will be back, but when he does come back. How long can he stay healthy?? Valencia needs more at bats but can he play 2nd base? Not sure if he is in Bucks doghouse or what.

Maybe Im just venting as of now since we are getting our behinds kicked by the Tigers, but if this team is serious about contending. Buck/DD can not shy away from the fact that our pitching needs strengthened.

Your post is 100% with one exception. With all of those holes in the roster you pointed out. It's an overwhelming reason to sell and not buy prior to the trade deadline.

No need to panic. We're two out of first, firmly in the WC race and so there is no need to make a hasty move we might regret later. I think we will pick up pitching at deadline but it won't cost us an arm and a leg (ie Schoop, Bundy)

I firmly believe our success will rely on the starting pitching. That being said, I dont think it is hopeless what we have and we will have to see how it plays out over the next 5 weeks. About everything that could go wrong with our SPs has this year to almost everyone of them. On the positive note our entire staff should be fresh for the last 90 games. I still think there is more in Hammel. Chen should be able to go into Sept. with no problem...Gonzo and Tilman have been pretty solid and not over worked. I still believe you will see a different Gausman in a month and he could be a force for us. I still have hope for Britton (starting in the next hr).

Getting a top tier starter is going to be difficult. Best case scenerio for us is the above guys pitch well and we might need a cost effective Saunders type for depth.

There is no way we make a trade until the deadline at 2b..BR will be given every chance. We might take a Mark Ellis type here or I wonder what the price of Howie Kendrick might be?

The left side of DH has been a hole. Tonight were trying someone else. WB should be back in late July but I could see us making a trade here for a legit guy like a Willingham or Kendy Morales type. A good hitter in that would fit in the 6th hole at DH might be the best player we get at the deadline that requires the least amount of hit to our future.

Too much to still figure out to make a move now especially with the cost being too high right now on trading for the right guys.

LA Detective wrote:I still believe you will see a different Gausman in a month and he could be a force for us.

He's beginning to figure it out. Some time with Griffin and Peterson at AAA might make the difference.

LA Detective wrote:There is no way we make a trade until the deadline at 2b..BR will be given every chance. We might take a Mark Ellis type here or I wonder what the price of Howie Kendrick might b?

What would concern me about Kendrick is more than just the prospects we would have to give up, it's that contract. IMO it would be like the mistake of an extension we gave Brian Roberts.

LA Detective wrote:The left side of DH has been a hole. Tonight were trying someone else. WB should be back in late July but I could see us making a trade here for a legit guy like a Willingham or Kendy Morales type. A good hitter in that would fit in the 6th hole at DH might be the best player we get at the deadline that requires the least amount of hit to our future.

Willingham is under contract through next season and his salary is reasonable so he won't come cheap, particurly since the Twins will market him as a starting LF. It would be a lot to pay for a fill in. Morales - a switch hitter - would seem to be the more logical choice because he shouldn't cost as much, BUT if the Seattle GM trades him it will pretty much be an admission that the season was lost for them and might cost him his job. You can BET that will factor into his decision making.

Rising O's wrote:We need to stop hitting Chris Davis 5th. No idea why our best hitter is pushed down the order. But then again...that's baseball.

I agree. I think it is reasonable against LHP, as he hits them to a .282/.337/.553. But, against RHP, he hits .356/.443/.764. Then again, everybody in front of him has been smashing the ball this year, so it's not that big of a deal. It's not like we have JJ Hardy in the 2 spot like last year.

Rising O's wrote:We need to stop hitting Chris Davis 5th. No idea why our best hitter is pushed down the order. But then again...that's baseball.

I don't think you could hardly call batting 5th being pushed down in the order. I think that the Orioles are leading the american league in so many batting categories that if it ain't broke don't fix it. The lineup is fine. I certainly don't think Chris Davis is complaining.

I like that line up alot. The biggest reason is CDavis' .400+ OBA ahead of AJ's .322. And the higher in the order he goes, the better Markakis does.

Also the Toronto series will be interesting. At the end of the last Toronto series they made it clear they weren't pitching to Davis. Let's see if that happens again. I wouldn't be suprised if that is the case and until we get a legit DH in the 6th spot there is no real protection for Davis. If it was me facing the O's I would take my chances with Wieters and Hardy rather than to pitch to CD..We may have to change the line up in the furture if this becomes the case.